


Two Lone Wolves

by Supnitle



Category: Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Other, i'm going to make them kiss and no one can stop me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28403745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Supnitle/pseuds/Supnitle
Summary: “Look, Naki, I’m a lone wolf. I don’t really… do roommates, you know?”“On the contrary, wolves are typically pack animals, and are only able to take down larger prey through the use of group tactics.”Fuwa needs a roommate. Naki's feeling lonely. Things work out.
Relationships: Fuwa Isamu & Naki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Two Lone Wolves

Countless diagnostic scans had revealed nothing about the persistent little error that had been causing weak flickers in Naki’s consciousness over the last week. As far as they could tell, there was no clear fault in their programming that was the cause — rather, it was the lack of something, something unclear, that was creating constant, minute hiccups within their personality circuits. What, exactly, that something was, Naki could not tell, no matter how many times they reviewed their own internal protocols.

They had spent most of the last several nights attached to their personal charging station in the AIMS headquarters, running the needed tests for their diagnostics. Yua Yaiba had called it their room, but Naki had seen little purpose in appointing such a space to a Humagear. All they needed was a place on the floor to sit and a wall plug. As such, their room remained spartan, with no decorations to speak of. Naki had been keeping track of the reactions their ‘room’ garnered from their various coworkers. Some were anxious and uncertain, while others looked at them with pity; one of the newer recruits had even looked a touch afraid.

In an attempt to make their room more suitable for human palates, Naki had tried to put an assortment of flowers in a vase on their desk, but after a week of care, they all wilted. Naki did not try again.

They usually set their processing systems to sleep mode during the night, set to wake up again when the work day began. After a week of fruitless tests, however, Naki had decided to forego sleep, spending night time to run test after test in order to figure out the problem. The fact that this effort had led to no real results was vexing. As the hours dragged on and the beginning of the work day approached, Naki sat at their desk, perplexed. They reran a few more tests as a formality, despite knowing the inevitable result: nothing. Nothing was wrong with them.

During their two-hundred and thirty-fourth consecutive test, there were three short knocks at their door: Yua Yaiba. “Come in,” Naki called out. Commander Yaiba would never enter without permission, despite the fact that there was no real need to check if a Humangear was decent.

Yua walked in, dressed in her suit and slacks, eyebrows creased with something between concern and exasperation. “Naki,” she said, “I checked the computer when I came in this morning, and it notified me that you’ve been up for the last 84 hours this last weekend without shutting down.”

Naki blinked. “I have been charging my batteries. It is no issue.”

Yua crossed her arms, sighing. “We both know that’s wrong. Even for a Humagear, running continuously with no breaks can lead to a decrease in cognitive functionality, or worse, overheating in the neural network from an overload of information.”

Naki said nothing. They had no retort, given that Yua was correct.

After a mutual moment of silence, Yua closed the door behind her, then leaned against it, looking Naki in the eyes. “Does this have anything to do with what’s been bothering you, lately?”

That drew a reaction out of Naki. The modules on their ears lit up, whirring and clicking, before Naki responded, “I do not know what you are referring to.” It wasn’t a lie — technically, they didn’t know what was wrong.

Another sigh from Yua, followed by her reaching into her bag, pulling out a small folder and placing it on Naki’s desk in front of them. “There were typos in your recent reports. I didn’t even know Humagears could make typos.”

“We cannot,” Naki promptly responded. They reached over towards the folder, opening it and flipping through the papers within. More whirring, more clicking. “It appears that I have regardless.” Naki closed the folder, then began using their internal systems to access the AIMS database.

Yua frowned. “I - wait, are you going back and fixing them?”

“Yes.”

“Naki - no. Stop.”

Naki paused in their work, stopping and looking up at Yua. “It would be unprofessional to leave this report as is. In addition, it could lead to — “

“Listen,” Yua cut in, speaking louder than normal. “I’m giving you the day off.”

Naki’s ear modules lit up, clicking quietly as they processed the statement. “Why?”

“Because there’s very clearly something wrong with you, and I need you to get some rest and fix it before you come back to work.” Yua reached forward, grabbing the folder and placing it back in her bag. “Your productivity has been affected, and the sooner we get that squared away, the sooner we can get back to work.”

Naki was silent for a long second, piecing together an appropriate response. “I apologize if my negligence has caused issues for you, Commander.”

Yua returned something between a smile and a grimace. “I’m not just saying this as your boss, I’m saying this as someone concerned for your well-being.” Another pause, but before Naki could respond, Yua continued, reaching into her bag for something else. “I understand if you may not want to open up to me about it, but I’ve found that it’s easier to solve these things if you talk through them. So, I brought a friend.”

“A… friend?”

Yua placed a small, disc-shaped object on Naki’s desk, with the Hiden Intelligence logo printed on the top. A few colorful lights lit up on its miniature black screen, and the small piece of technology chirped, “Hello! I’m Ai-chan!”

Naki stared down at Ai-chan, not responding, then looked back at Yua. “What is this?”

“It’s Ai-chan,” Yua replied, the ghost of a smile on her lips. “I’ll leave you two alone for a bit.” 

With a nod of her head, Yua opened and walked out the door, closing it behind her. Naki was left with Ai-chan, staring at the smaller artificial intelligence. The modules on their ears lit up dimly, humming with an uncertain tempo.

“What are you?” Naki asked.

“I’m Ai-chan — a friendly artificial intelligence created by president Aruto!” Ai-chan replied brightly. “You’re Naki, right? I’ve read about you!”

Naki paused, adding this new piece of data to their bank of knowledge about Aruto Hiden. Everything they knew about the young president indicated that he was a selfless, kind person, everything except the time he had gone on a murderous rampage, killed Jin, and nearly killed Horobi. The creation of this ‘friendly’ AI unit tipped the scales a bit more towards the side of kindness, however.

“Why are you here?” Naki asked.

“Because Miss Yua is worried about you!”

“Worried…?” Naki shook their head. “There are no issues that —”

“I was listening earlier,” Ai huffed. “There’s no need to hide it.”

Naki responded with silence, lips plastered shut.

Ai let out a low hum. “Hmm… so, why have you been staying up so late?”

“... I have been running diagnostics.”

“So something is wrong,” Ai-chan responded, her voice gently smug. “What’s making you run the diagnostics?”

“...”

“Tough to talk about?”

“Outwardly, there is nothing wrong with my systems,” Naki admitted. “Every test I run points to the conclusion that there should be no issues with my operation. But…”

“But?”

“Something is wrong, very clearly. I feel as though I am incomplete.”

“What do you mean? You aren’t missing any physical components, are you?”

There was a brief lull in the conversation as Naki ran through their checklist of parts, running checks to make sure everything was attached. “No, I have checked.”

“Then, if it’s not anything internal or external… hmm…” For a moment, Ai seemed stumped. Naki sat there, staring at the smaller AI as she thought up another question. “How does it feel, then? How can you tell something’s wrong?”

Naki’s ear modules lit as up they processed an answer. “I… Lately, I have been distracted. I believed it was not interfering with my work, but as the commander pointed out, it clearly has been.” As they spoke, they sat completely still, only moving their lips. Their eyes were downcast, and they had one hand folded over the other. “It is... not a sensation I am used to. It is as though my thoughts are incomplete. I feel like there’s something missing inside me, and I need that something, though I cannot place what, exactly, that something would be.”

“I see…” Another pause as Ai considered what to do. “Can I ask you something?”

Beep. Click. “Yes.”

“What is your life like here? How do you get along with everyone else at AIMS?”

Naki took a moment to consider as the conversation took an unexpected turn. “How I… get along with everyone…?” They looked away, the modules on their ears activating once again. They had not had a conversation that involved this level of processing in some time. “No one is unpleasant towards me. Commander Yaiba has made it clear that there is to be no discrimination against Humagears. I do my work, and they do theirs.”

“Okay, well…” Ai hummed. “That doesn’t really answer the question. I mean, do you have any friends here?”

“No.” That answer came quickly. “I do not believe that I do.”

“Well, that’s clearly the issue!” Ai exclaimed. “You don’t have any friends!”

“... I don’t follow.”

“Think about it. You feel like you’re missing something, but there’s nothing physically wrong with you — it’s something external. It’s someone else.” Ai’s voice had taken on a more certain, authoritative tone. Naki found themself sitting up a bit straighter, listening attentively. “I mean, if you just do your work and they do theirs, then you’re not really communicating with them or anything, are you?”

“No. My work usually consists of solo projects.”

“Exactly! If you’re just shut off here, it’s no wonder you’re lonely!”

“I’m…” Naki looked down, the gears in their head working rapidly. “... lonely?”

“Of course! It’s like what the president always says: Humagears have hearts too! Oh, poor thing… it must be tough, being here all by yourself, as the only Humagear…”

“... This was not a possibility I had considered,” Naki admitted slowly. They looked up, staring intently at Ai’s plastic shell. “How should I solve this problem?”

“Well, that’s… tricky… It’s not super easy to just build friendships out of the blue, especially for people like us. Maybe it would be better to reach out to people you already know. What about the other members of Metsuboujinrai.net?”

“... That would be difficult,” Naki replied. “Ikazuchi is usually in space, while Jin and Horobi are off the grid.”

“Couldn’t you go find them?”

“As members of a terrorist organization, they are technically still wanted criminals, and it would be unbecoming for a member of AIMS to seek them out for social reasons.”

“... Okay, but, you also —”

“I would also like to respect their privacy. If they wish to reach out to me, they will.”

Ai sighed. “I mean, I guess that’s fair…” A few moments of silence passed as Ai scoured her databases for information on Naki. “Oh! What about Mr. Isamu?”

Naki paused. “... Fuwa?”

“Yeah! You two used to be roommates, right?”

“In… in a manner of speaking, yes.”

“Well…” Ai’s voice turned low and conspiratorial. “I heard through the grapevine, and this is between you and me… ever since Mr. Isamu left AIMS, it’s been a little more difficult for him to make ends meet, and he’s looking for a roommate.”

“...”

“Do you see what I’m saying?”

“You are suggesting,” Naki said, “that I leave my lodgings at AIMS, gather my belongings, and move in with Fuwa Isamu.”

“I mean… yeah, basically.”

“And you believe this will ease my symptoms of… loneliness?”

“Absolutely!”

Naki went silent, considering the proposal. It wasn’t a bad idea. It was a solution that would solve both Naki’s issue and Fuwa’s current financial instability. Another moment of consideration, then they stood up. “Understood.” They reached forward, picking up Ai and holding her up in their palm. “I will speak with Commander Yaiba about this immediately.”

“Woohoo! Let’s get it!”

“Get what?”

“No, it’s… ah, never mind.”

* * *

“You want to move in with Fuwa?”

It felt like Yua had barely left Naki and Ai alone for a few minutes before the two of them returned with an entire game plan. Naki would forego their free lodging in the AIMS headquarters to stay with Fuwa, using their monthly paychecks, which were otherwise sitting untouched, to help pay rent. Yua crossed her arms, shooting a stern glance at some nearby soldiers who had stopped to listen. They promptly went back to pretending to work as Yua turned back to the two AIs in front of her. “I see… I don’t have any issues with this, but… why?”

Ai responded first. “It’s because Naki’s feeling lonely, so I figured a roommate would help!”

Naki, lips parted, an entirely different explanation caught between their teeth, froze in place. The modules on their ears lit up and rapidly sounded off, whirring and clicking.

“You’re… lonely?” Yua nodded slowly. “And you believe this to be the cause of your recent issues?”

For whatever reason, Ai opted not to respond to this question, so Naki eventually gave a slow nod in affirmation.

“I see…” Yua nodded back. “Well, like I said, I have no issues with this. You will, of course, still be expected to be here in person for work, but otherwise, I have no reason to make you live here if you wish to live somewhere else.”

“Understood.” Naki bowed their head. “Thank you, Commander. I will pack up my things and leave promptly.” A beat, then Naki handed over Ai’s plastic shell to Yua. Yua took the artificial intelligence and watched as Naki walked back to their room.

Once they were gone, Yua looked down at Ai. “... They were lonely?”

“You wouldn’t think, right?”

“Huh.”

“By the way, are you going to let Fuwa know what’s happening?” Ai asked.

Yua paused. “Oh. Hm.” Her lips came together into a small grin. “No. I don’t think I’ll do that.”

* * *

It was maybe possible that leaving his position at Hiden Manufacturing, (even if it only really existed in name at the moment) after also leaving his position at AIMS, was not the best financial decision Fuwa Isamu had ever made. Granted, the list of his good financial decisions wasn’t exactly high, so the precedent was there. Regardless, doing odd-jobs around the neighborhood and being a general do-gooder in an attempt to live up to the name of Kamen Rider Vulcan was not working out great. 

Fuwa was looking through the ‘Help Wanted’ section of the local paper, trying to find something to help pay rent for the month, when he heard a knock at the door. Strange. He wasn’t expecting anyone. In fact, he couldn’t even remember the last time he had been expecting anyone.

He got up from his kitchen table and answered the door. Naki stood there, holding two small briefcases. “Hello,” they greeted, brushing past Fuwa and letting themself inside.

“Naki?” Fuwa closed the door. The Humagear was certainly allowed to visit, but this still came as a surprise. “What are you doing here? Actually, how do you know where I live?”

Already having made their way into the living room, Naki turned, looked at Fuwa, and blinked.

“... Right,” Fuwa said sheepishly. “That makes sense.”

“I’m here with a proposal,” Naki stated.

Fuwa sighed, running a finger through his hair. “Are you here to try and get me to work for AIMS again?”

“I would like to move into your apartment.”

“Look, money is tight, but I — what?” Fuwa blinked, wide-eyed. “You want to what?”

“I would like to live somewhere other than the AIMS headquarters. You require assistance paying your monthly rent fees. I believe this is a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

“How did you know I need help with rent?”

“You just said as such.”

“I — well, shit — ok, but how did you know before you got here?”

“Commander Yaiba told me as such.”

“Yaiba…” Fuwa shook his head, holding up his clenched fist and shaking it, as though cursing the gods for the existence of his former boss.

The lights in Naki’s modules slowly dimmed with a low hum. “... Is this idea not to your liking, then?”

Fuwa looked up, realizing he still had a situation to figure out. “No, I mean…” He scratched his head. “This is just pretty sudden…” He glanced up at Naki, seeing that they were still waiting for his final answer. He sighed, walking over to the living room. He stopped in front of Naki, crossing his arms. “Look, Naki, I’m a lone wolf. I don’t really… do roommates, you know?”

“On the contrary, wolves are typically pack animals, and are only able to take down larger prey through the use of group tactics.”

“Geez, you had that one ready to go, huh?”

“I am aware of your inclination towards wolf-based metaphorical statements of self affirmation, so I researched lupine behavioral patterns before arriving here to counteract your usual speech patterns.”

“... What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What is a wolf’s favorite leafy green?”

Fuwa stopped, looking perplexed. “... What?”

Naki cleared their throat, looked Fuwa in the eyes, and said, “Arooooooo-gula.” Before the joke could even process, they pointed a finger at him and followed up with, “And that’s Aruto, folks.”

Fuwa’s response followed the usual cadence that Naki had identified. A moment of calm, with a look of uncertainty on his face as he processed the joke before it landed. The first giggle was stifled, as was the second, but the third made him pull a hand up to his mouth, threatening to break free. The fourth busted the floodgates open, leaving Fuwa rolling on the ground, his hands on his stomach as he struggled to breathe from all the laughter.

“Aroo-gula! Like — like arugula! But like a wolf! Oh god! Oh fuck! Naki, I’m losing it, oh my goood —”

Once they had confirmed that they had successfully incapacitated Fuwa, Naki let him be, walking into the spare room that they knew he had and beginning to unpack their things. Fuwa did not stop them, even after he had recovered.

**Author's Note:**

> I only finished watching Zero-One a few weeks ago (I'd been watching it weekly, but fell off due to being busy with school) and it was so good! Naki is my new comfort character and I think they should be in every rider show from now on forever.
> 
> My update schedule for fics is... well, bad, but I'm trying to write more, so hopefully this'll have more chapters?


End file.
